Former Navy EOD technician assigned to Navy SEAL teams, Joshua Brown, age 40, died on May 7th after his car crashed into an 18 wheeler trailer. You can read his accident report HERE. His Tesla Model S was on autopilot when the 18 wheeler turned in front of Brown’s car. His car went underneath the trailer, sheering off the top of the vehicle. The car continued moving until it hit an electric pole.  The driver of the 18 wheeler states that Brown was watching Harry Potter as the movies was still playing following the accident. This is the first fatality crash involving the Tesla while in the driver initiated autopilot mode.
This crash is making national news at the same time the military is testing the same type of  technology for military convoys.
The video below shows a driver asleep at the wheel while driving…I hope this video was staged.
Image courtesy of Facebook
Editor Note: Originally reported as a former Navy SEAL but was actually a EOD tech assigned to SEAL teams.
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I wonder if the Tesla will warrant new DOT legislation declaring it against the law to sleep in a car operated by Tesla… are you allowed to use your cell phone and text in one? What is the purpose of the Tesla car if you can’t do all these things?
Candle lit.
This is a tragedy and obviously the technology is not perfected, it doesn’t sound like the car slowed down. Do the cars have airbags? I notice the accident report says the airbags did not deploy. The link about the military use of this technology talks about driverless vehicles to take some of the drivers out of the loop. It also mentions fully driverless convoys, seems like that could be very helpful in war zones to avoid deaths from IED explosions on the roads. May God rest the soul of Joshua Brown, and comfort his family.
this is the warning about autopilot from Tesla that pops up every time you use it:
“It is important to note that Tesla disables Autopilot by default and
requires explicit acknowledgement that the system is new technology and
still in a public beta phase before it can be enabled. When drivers
activate Autopilot, the acknowledgment box explains, among other things,
that Autopilot “is an assist feature that requires you to keep your
hands on the steering wheel at all times,” and that “you need to
maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle†while using it.
Additionally, every time that Autopilot is engaged, the car reminds the
driver to “Always keep your hands on the wheel. Be prepared to take over
at any time.â€
for a guy who spent a massive chunk of his life having to follow strict instructions so as not to blow up himself or his buddies, it’s kind of crazy the witness says he was laying back, watching Spongebob….
RIP
Joshua Brown…I pray that you Rest In Peace!